World News

100 arrested in NY protesting arms shipments to Israel

Nearly 100 far-left activists arrested at New York City protest demanding Democratic senators block the sale of bombs to the Israeli military.

By World Israel News Staff

Nearly 100 far-left protesters were arrested in New York City on Monday during a demonstration demanding that Democratic senators intervene to block the planned sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of aerial munitions to Israel.

The protest, which was organized in part by the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, was held outside the Manhattan offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Over 90 people were arrested at a sit-in protest outside the senators’ offices, including some demonstrators who were detained while blocking traffic. The protesters had initially tried to hold the sit-in inside Schumer and Gillibrand’s offices.

Protesters chanted slogans including “stop the bombs,” “free Palestine,” and “let Gaza live.”

Among those detained were Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, a court-martialed US Army soldier convicted of espionage; actor Hari Nef; and New York City Council Member Alexa Avilés.

Manning was reportedly among those taken into custody.

The protest centered on demands that Schumer and Gillibrand back resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders aimed at blocking the bomb sale.

Similar resolutions had failed before, though Sanders’ latest push drew support from more than half of Senate Democrats, without support from Schumer or Gillibrand.

Neither Schumer nor Gillibrand immediately commented publicly following the protest.

The weapons sale targeted by Sanders’ resolutions and condemned by the protesters has a price tag of nearly $660 million, and would include the transfer of some 27,000 bombs of various sizes, including 5,000 250-pound small-diameter bombs, valued at $298 million, 10,000 500-pound bombs, valued at $209 million, and 12,000 1,000-pound bombs, valued at $151.8 million.

Last month, Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley, and Peter Welch drafted a joint resolution of disapproval aimed at blocking the arms transfer and expressing their criticism of the war with Iran.

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David Rosenberg
Tags: Anti-Israel protest arms sales New York New York City

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